Professional Learning Communities

A professional learning community (PLC) is a collaborative work culture for teachers whereby reflective understanding is gained with the aid of peers who have the same experiences, thereby improving professional knowledge and student learning. Professional learning communities are often used in education as a model for program evaluation and continuous program improvement. This entry describes the essential characteristics of PLCs, their effectiveness, the processes involved in creating or developing them, and their significance in education research, measurement, and evaluation.

Professional learning communities have several central features. Shared values and a common vision are qualities that are considered foundational to PLCs, as is collective responsibility for student learning. Effective PLCs in districts and schools address the current challenges or problems that are most critical for the school. There is reflective professional inquiry within the PLC in which dialogue regarding curriculum, instruction, and student growth is constant. PLCs support teachers’ self-efficacy and level of professionalism; this support is given from all levels of the school system (i.e., all stakeholders). PLCs not only foster an atmosphere of trust, but the ongoing work of the PLC is monitored by the stakeholders, and constructive feedback is provided. The process to create or develop a PLC is unique and should include all of the characteristics described above.

Studies have shown that there is a strong relationship between effective PLCs in schools and improved student achievement and teacher learning and instruction. PLCs promote advances in teaching practices, such as documented changes in the professional culture of the school (e.g., collaboration, a focus on student learning, teacher authority, and continuous teacher learning) associated with them. The improvements in student learning brought about by PLCs indicate that targeted focus on learning is critical for achievement gains.

Professional learning communities provide a significant contribution to education research on [Page 1308]improving student learning, teacher learning, and instructional practices. They are a shift away from traditional models of professional development, combining the knowledge and theory of teachers with current understanding on how to best make an impact on student and teacher learning. In other words, collaboration is the process, and the goal is student learning (analysis of student work) as well as improved teacher learning and instructional practices.

See also Professional Development of Teachers